PORT HURON — The city may be extending its downtown social district — boundaries that allow patrons of participating bars and restaurants to walk out with an adult beverage — once more.
This time, if the state OKs an application recommended by City Council this week, it could encapsulate a new business perched at Seventh Street and Lapeer Avenue.
Property owner Keith Gurnsey purchased the Active Lounge site three years ago, reopening the bar more than a year ago before also more recently promoting a food menu. He had not formally asked the city to add the lounge, 708 Lapeer Ave., to the social district, but he said he’d talked about it with Port Huron City Manager James Freed.
So far, he said they’ve added plenty of entertainment for the bar’s visitors, including karaoke and live entertainment. Now, he said he’s weighing the value joining the district could have, as it fits in with wider hopes to redevelop other parts of the property — or “the whole 20,000 square feet of real estate.”
“You could have an activity outside, for example,” Gurnsey said. “We could sell the social drinks to them, and they can go outside and play cornhole. Or maybe I could have a band thing outside or an activity. A couple weeks ago, we had a car show thing. We had a bunch of people come, and they brought their cars. … Different ideas I’m kicking around that’d be positive.”
Council members green-lit an application to extend the social district as part of the consent agenda at last Monday’s regular meeting. It’d expand boundaries along Water Street and Lapeer to Eight Street.
Natacha Hayden, DDA director, said it made sense to consider including the Active Lounge because “he’s just so close,” connecting downtown to the neighborhood business and nearby residents.
“I tried to go through the state first to see if that is something that they would allow just because I know it’s not necessarily on Main Street and is a couple of blocks away," she said. “(The Active Lounge has) been with us for about a year now, and they’re doing great. So, if that’s something that they wish to do … it would be a great addition.”
It wasn’t clear how long it’d take for the state to weigh in. Hayden said they’ve seen approvals take “as quick as one month and as long as three.”
In addition to adding the Active Lounge, also Ok’d by council was an application for the Belle River Winery, which has a tasting room at Military and Water streets downtown.
Owner Rob Cowan said they’ve already been part of the social district, but as part of an effort to be able to serve at their new outdoor seating, they have to reapply. He expected they’d be out for a few weeks before being able to rejoin and accommodate patrons anew.
The outdoor seating, he said, was a “peak” to help draw more business.
“I think we’re doing OK. We’re not hitting out of the park by any means, but we’re not dead in the water either. I think winter is going to be our busy time, to be frank, because there’s so much to do outside in the summer in Port Huron, and everybody’s doing everything else.”
As is, the downtown social district extends from Glenwood Avenue to Union Street along Huron Avenue and Military Street, It also extends to include the Wrigley Center and establishments on Quay Street.
Expanding boundaries to the Wrigley, as well as farther south to the Foundry were more recent additions. There are more than a dozen establishments overall included.
Additionally, the city has founded a separate social district, dubbed the Edison district, for visitors to enjoy a cocktail from the Blue Water Convention Center to enjoy on the boardwalk along the St. Clair River between the International Flag Plaza and the Huron Lightship.
Some like Cowan said they look at expanding the original social district downtown, such as east of Military toward the water to include Andy’s Wine Bar.
Freed said another good example may be introducing a new social district altogether in South Park with boundaries that’d include McCormick’s, the City Tavern, and the Moose Lodge.
“The social district is going incredibly smoothly and well,” he said. “We have not had any major issues caused by the social district, and so, we’re expanding its footprint to give more people an opportunity. It’s become an economic development tool. We’ve sold about 20,000 stickers and cups a year. … That’s a real jolt in the arm to a lot of these small businesses.”
For more information on the city’s social districts, visit https://downtownph.com/social-district.
Contact reporter Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com.
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